Add your thoughts using the KWL approach. Thinking about Game Mechanics, Games-Based Learning or gamification.....
K = What do you know? Only the basics - using the strategies from gaming to engage students in their learning, maybe by them creating game ideas in apps or related things such as animation, coding
W = What do you want to learn? How to use gaming strategies, perhaps coding, how it can engage students and improve their learning. How I can use theses ideas for engaging assessment tasks and hopefully include Music is this, as Music is my teaching area.
L = What have you learned? (we'll do this last one later) The definition of 'fun' was interesting and what constitutes fun and breaking down games into what makes them engaging.
Have learnt that it is a continuum rather than a definition, and that while I use gamifying in some respects already, GBL is much more complex and requires a lot of planning to do well. Something I would like to research furether
Reflection
Add your thoughts here and also add to the KWL notes above, where appropriate.
I found the 12 parts of games interesting and what makes things are engaging. When you break it down that way, I realise I do many of these things in the classroom already, trying to mix things up, stay creative and engage students, but only in isolation, not gamifying yet.
It is important to get the right balance, so that students are engaged but learning at the same time, rather than engaged with the game and not the learning.
Level 2
Where do I start?
Identify some learning outcomes that you will be visiting with your students in upcoming lessons. Note down here some ways they might benefit from gamification. Notation theory - I already have started using an app, Staff Wars, to help them get faster at learning treble clef notes while also being engaging and fun. But by adding score cards for results or a board for team leaders I could enhance the competition and engagement with gamification.
Observe and reflect
After playing a game what are your personal thoughts about the design and elements involved and how any of these could help you in thinking about doing the same in a learning activity?
I realise I am already gamifying some activities, such as Kahoots. And also I play music quiz games in a style like Spicks and Specks which students love. Now to think how to expand them to other learning actvities ...
Level 3
Premiers Reading Challenge Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience. (feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)
My kids did this, and never thought of the 'gamifying' of it. No narrative etc so more on the gamifying end of the spectrum, but still with rules, levels and rewards.
Zombie Learning Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience.
(feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)
Towards the other end of the continuum with the narrative story
You Try/ A final reflection
Add your finished plan here as an upload file or as text you have cut and pasted into the wiki. We would love to give you feedback to help you get started. (remember it does not need be perfect, it is a first attempt). Alternatively it can be emailed to us instead.
I have learned that I already use elements of gamification already but that the actual analysis of what makes games engaging to students is a lot more complex than I had considered. I thought GBL meant actually writing games, like coding, but have now realised it is a lot more diverse than that. I think it takes a LOT of thought to do it well at the far end of the spectrum, and it would be a gradually process of adding on gaming aspects after working out what works and what doesn’t as you go along. As you can see from my email I have lots of ideas going around my head, but not exactly sure where to go next to bring it all together. But it’s a start!
Level 1
KWL (Levels 1 and 3)
Add your thoughts using the KWL approach. Thinking about Game Mechanics, Games-Based Learning or gamification.....K = What do you know? Only the basics - using the strategies from gaming to engage students in their learning, maybe by them creating game ideas in apps or related things such as animation, coding
W = What do you want to learn? How to use gaming strategies, perhaps coding, how it can engage students and improve their learning. How I can use theses ideas for engaging assessment tasks and hopefully include Music is this, as Music is my teaching area.
L = What have you learned? (we'll do this last one later) The definition of 'fun' was interesting and what constitutes fun and breaking down games into what makes them engaging.
Have learnt that it is a continuum rather than a definition, and that while I use gamifying in some respects already, GBL is much more complex and requires a lot of planning to do well. Something I would like to research furether
Reflection
Add your thoughts here and also add to the KWL notes above, where appropriate.I found the 12 parts of games interesting and what makes things are engaging. When you break it down that way, I realise I do many of these things in the classroom already, trying to mix things up, stay creative and engage students, but only in isolation, not gamifying yet.
It is important to get the right balance, so that students are engaged but learning at the same time, rather than engaged with the game and not the learning.
Level 2
Where do I start?
Identify some learning outcomes that you will be visiting with your students in upcoming lessons. Note down here some ways they might benefit from gamification.Notation theory - I already have started using an app, Staff Wars, to help them get faster at learning treble clef notes while also being engaging and fun. But by adding score cards for results or a board for team leaders I could enhance the competition and engagement with gamification.
Observe and reflect
After playing a game what are your personal thoughts about the design and elements involved and how any of these could help you in thinking about doing the same in a learning activity?
I realise I am already gamifying some activities, such as Kahoots. And also I play music quiz games in a style like Spicks and Specks which students love. Now to think how to expand them to other learning actvities ...
Level 3
Premiers Reading Challenge Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience. (feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)My kids did this, and never thought of the 'gamifying' of it. No narrative etc so more on the gamifying end of the spectrum, but still with rules, levels and rewards.
Zombie Learning Reflection
Write your thoughts here and or print a rubric and circle the appropriate areas you notice as you review the rules of this gamified experience.(feel free to scan or photograph and upload your rubic to this page.)
Towards the other end of the continuum with the narrative story
You Try/ A final reflection
Add your finished plan here as an upload file or as text you have cut and pasted into the wiki. We would love to give you feedback to help you get started. (remember it does not need be perfect, it is a first attempt). Alternatively it can be emailed to us instead.I have learned that I already use elements of gamification already but that the actual analysis of what makes games engaging to students is a lot more complex than I had considered. I thought GBL meant actually writing games, like coding, but have now realised it is a lot more diverse than that. I think it takes a LOT of thought to do it well at the far end of the spectrum, and it would be a gradually process of adding on gaming aspects after working out what works and what doesn’t as you go along. As you can see from my email I have lots of ideas going around my head, but not exactly sure where to go next to bring it all together. But it’s a start!
Game Design Thinking template
Have you filled in the evaluation? Have you found the bonus level content?
Beverley Babbage